Furnace for synthesizing graphite

Abstract

Provided is a furnace for synthesizing graphite. The furnace for synthesizing graphite according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of crucibles for accommodating raw material for synthesizing graphite; a heating zone in which raw material for synthesizing graphite filling the crucibles is heated to produce synthetic graphite; and a preheating zone in which room-temperature crucibles entering the heating zone from the outside are preheated by means of the emitted heat from the crucibles being discharged.

Description

With artificial graphite

[0001] The present invention relates to an artificial graphite furnace.

[0002] In general, graphite has excellent lubricity, conductivity, heat resistance, acid resistance, and alkali resistance, and is used in various applications such as mechanical seals, brake pads, linings, electrode pastes, foundry paints, batteries, refractories, steelmaking insulation, crucibles, and electric brushes, and its application range is very wide.

[0003] In particular, lithium ion batteries are used as electrode materials by utilizing the phenomenon in which lithium (Li) ions enter the layered structure of graphite crystals.

[0004] The heating process for making artificial graphite used in lithium-ion batteries accounts for a significant portion of the total energy cost, making the establishment of an efficient manufacturing method very important.

[0005] Typically, artificial graphite is made from green coke, a carbon material produced by separating and heating coal tar, a byproduct of coal and petroleum. To make it suitable for use in lithium-ion batteries, the crystallinity of the graphite molecules must be maximized.

[0006] A key requirement for increasing the crystallinity of graphite molecules is prolonged heating, for example, at temperatures exceeding 2800°C. Graphite is the most common material capable of withstanding temperatures exceeding 2800°C, and thus, the production of artificial graphite utilizes furnaces and components made of graphite.

[0007] The Acheson furnace process, a commercially developed and widely used process for manufacturing artificial graphite, is a large-scale batch process requiring high-current equipment. It is inefficient and generates significant carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), posing significant environmental problems.

[0008] To meet global demands for environmental friendliness and economic efficiency, continuous graphitization is increasingly being used to improve efficiency. Continuous graphitization methods include horizontal and vertical methods.

[0009] The horizontal type is installed horizontally, and a tray or crucible containing graphitizing raw materials is heated by moving it horizontally on a conveyor or lubricated graphite plate inside the graphite furnace.

[0010] This method degrades the reliability of the equipment supporting the material at high temperatures, necessitating measures to vent various gases generated during transport. Furthermore, the structure becomes complex due to heat management at the inlet and outlet.

[0011] The vertical type stands the furnace vertically, drops the graphitizing raw material from the top, heats it internally, and continuously discharges graphite from the bottom.

[0012] That is, by stacking raw materials from the bottom to the top in the furnace, heating the furnace, and discharging graphite from the lower outlet while injecting raw materials in the same amount as the discharged amount into the upper portion, a certain amount of raw materials always remains in the furnace and is graphitized.

[0013] In a vertical continuous graphitization furnace, as the raw material to be graphitized from the coke drawn on the carbon material graphite wall descends inside the ultra-high temperature heater, the gases generated by the sublimation of foreign substances contained inside the coke recombine with or damage the wall.

[0014] That is, impurities contained in the raw material, such as moisture, ash, volatile matter (VM), nitrogen, and sulfur, gasify and deteriorate or stick to the side of the furnace.

[0015] This gasification occurs, for example, mostly below 1500°C. Because of this characteristic, a calcination process is included in the graphitization process to remove unnecessary impurities in a relatively low temperature range, for example, below 1500°C.

[0016] In addition, the temperature required for the graphitization process is, for example, 2900℃ to 3000℃ or higher, and in most cases, the crucible is loaded at room temperature, the temperature is increased over a long period of time, and the highest temperature is maintained for a short period of more than 1 hour and a long period of up to 20 hours, and then cooled to room temperature at which the crucible can be handled by the worker.

[0017] In this way, in terms of energy consumption, for example, raising the temperature to 1500℃ and forcibly cooling the heat of about 2000℃ accounts for about 50% of the entire process, so a lot of energy is consumed in artificial graphitization, and therefore there was a problem that the artificial graphitization process cost increased significantly.

[0018] The present invention provides an artificial graphite furnace that allows a crucible containing artificial graphite having a set temperature or higher after heating from a heater to be naturally cooled by transferring heat to a crucible at room temperature to be heated without forcibly cooling the crucible, and allows the introduced crucible to be preheated to the highest preheating temperature before entering a heating zone.

[0019] In addition, the present invention aims to provide an artificial graphitization furnace that can minimize the energy required to artificially graphitize green coke and minimize power costs by reducing the cooling cost required for forced cooling after discharging the crucible.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an artificial graphite furnace is a vertical artificial graphite furnace for producing artificial graphite, which may include a plurality of crucibles containing graphitization raw materials for producing artificial graphite therein, and a heating zone in which the crucibles are vertically stacked therein and the graphitization raw materials contained in the crucibles are heated to produce artificial graphite.

[0021] In addition, the artificial graphite may include a preheating zone for preheating a crucible at room temperature introduced from the outside into the heating zone using heat emitted from a crucible in which artificial graphite is generated by being heated and emitted from the heating zone, and which is disposed at least on one side of the heating zone.

[0022] The crucible may have a square or cylindrical shape.

[0023] The crucible can be made of graphite material.

[0024] The outside of the crucible can be filled with an inert gas.

[0025] The heating zone has a stacked passage for passing a plurality of stacked crucibles and can generate heat at a set temperature.

[0026] Insulation may be installed on the outside of the heater.

[0027] The insulation may be made of carbon black material.

[0028] The heater may have a rectangular or circular tube shape.

[0029] The outside of the heater may be filled with an inert gas.

[0030] The heating zone may include a high temperature heating zone positioned in the center of the heater and heated to a first heating temperature, an upper heating zone positioned above the heater and heated to a second heating temperature that is lower than the high temperature heating zone, and a lower heating zone positioned below the heater and heated to a third heating temperature that is lower than the high temperature heating zone.

[0031] A first crucible supply chamber may be installed at the bottom of the lower heating zone, which is arranged vertically with respect to the heater and supplies a crucible to the lower heating zone.

[0032] The first crucible supply chamber may be equipped with a first vertical transport device for pushing the crucible supplied to one end of the first crucible supply chamber up to the lower heating zone.

[0033] A first crucible discharge chamber may be installed at the top of the upper heating zone, vertically arranged with respect to the heater, for discharging the crucible in which the artificial graphite is produced to the outside of the upper heating zone.

[0034] A first horizontal transfer device may be installed in the first crucible discharge chamber to transfer the crucible toward the other end of the first crucible discharge chamber.

[0035] A second crucible discharge chamber may be installed at one end of the first crucible discharge chamber, which is arranged parallel to the heater and is in communication with the first crucible discharge chamber.

[0036] A second vertical transport device may be installed at the lower end of the second crucible discharge chamber to vertically transport the crucible transported from the first crucible discharge chamber.

[0037] A third crucible discharge chamber may be installed at the lower end of the second crucible discharge chamber, which is arranged vertically with the second crucible discharge chamber and is connected to the second crucible discharge chamber.

[0038] A second horizontal transfer device may be installed on one side of the second crucible discharge chamber to transfer the crucible transferred to the second crucible discharge chamber to the third crucible discharge chamber.

[0039] The preheating zone may include a first preheating chamber, each of which is connected to the first crucible supply chamber and the third crucible discharge chamber, and for preheating a crucible introduced for supply to the first crucible supply chamber to a first preheating temperature by radiant heat emitted from a crucible discharged from the third crucible discharge chamber.

[0040] A third vertical transport device may be installed in the first preheating chamber to vertically transport the crucible discharged from the third crucible discharge chamber.

[0041] A fourth vertical transport device may be installed in the first preheating chamber to vertically transport the crucible introduced into the first preheating chamber.

[0042] A third horizontal transport device may be installed in the first preheating chamber to transport the crucible introduced into the first preheating chamber to the first crucible supply chamber.

[0043] The preheating zone may include a second preheating chamber arranged at the discharge end of the crucible and the introduction end of the crucible at room temperature, and for preheating the crucible at room temperature introduced from the outside to a second preheating temperature using radiant heat emitted from the crucible before being discharged to the outside.

[0044] The preheating zone may include at least one third preheating chamber disposed between the first preheating chamber and the second preheating chamber, and for preheating the crucible preheated in the second preheating chamber to a third set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible discharged from the first preheating chamber.

[0045] A first bulkhead may be installed between the second preheating chamber and the third preheating chamber to isolate the second preheating chamber and the third preheating chamber.

[0046] The first bulkhead may be provided with a first inlet for introducing a crucible from the second preheating chamber to the third preheating chamber, and a first discharge port for discharging a crucible from the third preheating chamber to the second preheating chamber.

[0047] The preheating zone may include at least one fourth preheating chamber disposed between the first preheating chamber and the third preheating chamber, and for preheating the crucible preheated in the third preheating chamber to a fourth set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible discharged from the first preheating chamber.

[0048] A second bulkhead may be installed between the third preheating chamber and the fourth preheating chamber to isolate the third preheating chamber and the fourth preheating chamber.

[0049] The second bulkhead may be provided with a second inlet for introducing a crucible from the third preheating chamber to the fourth preheating chamber, and a second outlet for discharging a crucible from the fourth preheating chamber to the third preheating chamber.

[0050] A third bulkhead may be installed between the fourth preheating chamber and the first preheating chamber to isolate the fourth preheating chamber and the first preheating chamber.

[0051] The third bulkhead may be provided with a third inlet for introducing a crucible from the fourth preheating chamber to the first preheating chamber, and a third outlet for discharging a crucible from the first preheating chamber to the fourth preheating chamber.

[0052] The crucible introduced from the outside can be gradually heated while sequentially passing through the second preheating chamber, the third preheating chamber, the fourth preheating chamber, and the first preheating chamber.

[0053] The crucible discharged to the outside can be gradually cooled while sequentially passing through the first preheating chamber, the fourth preheating chamber, the third preheating chamber, and the second preheating chamber.

[0054] The second preheating chamber, the third preheating chamber, the fourth preheating chamber, and the first preheating chamber can each be sealed from the outside for sequential heating of crucibles introduced from the outside.

[0055] The first preheating chamber, the fourth preheating chamber, the third preheating chamber, and the second preheating chamber can each be sealed from the outside for sequential cooling of the crucible discharged to the outside.

[0056] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a crucible containing artificial graphite having a set temperature or higher after heating from a heater is not forcibly cooled as is, but is cooled naturally by transferring heat to a crucible at room temperature to be heated, and the introduced crucible is preheated to the highest preheating temperature before entering the heating zone, thereby maximizing the energy required for artificial graphitization.

[0057] Therefore, by creating a structure that can self-preheat the vertical artificial graphite furnace, energy efficiency and the lifespan of the crucible and furnace can be greatly improved, thereby greatly improving economic feasibility.

[0058] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an artificial graphite furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the embodiments described below may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Wherever possible, identical or similar parts are indicated in the drawings using the same reference numerals.

[0060] The terminology used below is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "singular" and "comprising" include plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The word "comprising" as used herein specifies a particular feature, region, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of other specific features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups.

[0061] All terms, including technical and scientific terms, used below have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in the dictionary are further interpreted to have meanings consistent with the relevant technical literature and the present disclosure, and are not to be construed as ideal or overly formal unless otherwise defined.

[0062] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an artificial graphite furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 1, an artificial graphitization furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention is for efficiently artificially graphitizing a graphitization raw material without damaging the artificial graphitization furnace when manufacturing artificial graphite in a continuous vertical artificial graphitization furnace.

[0064] The artificial graphite furnace may include a crucible (10), a heating zone (100), and a preheating zone (200).

[0065] The crucible (10) can be provided in multiple quantities and contains graphitizing raw materials for manufacturing artificial graphite.

[0066] In addition, the heating zone (100) has a plurality of crucibles (10) stacked vertically (Y direction in FIG. 1) inside, and can heat the graphitizing raw material contained in the crucibles (10) to a set temperature (e.g., 2800°C to 3100°C) to produce artificial graphite.

[0067] The preheating zone (200) is arranged at least once on one side of the heating zone (100), and can preheat a crucible (10) at room temperature, which is introduced into the heating zone (100) from the outside, to a set preheating temperature using heat emitted from a crucible (11) in which artificial graphite is generated and emitted from the heating zone (100).

[0068] A plurality of crucibles (10, 11) are provided, and may have a shape such as a square cylinder or a cylinder in which graphitizing raw materials such as green coke or generated artificial graphite can be contained, and may be manufactured from a material such as graphite.

[0069] The outside of the crucible (10) may be filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon gas so that the crucible (10) can maintain a set temperature in the heating zone (100).

[0070] The heating zone (100) is installed inside the case (101) and may include a heater (110) that generates heat at a set temperature and has a stacked passage (111) for passing a plurality of crucibles (10) through the stacked passage.

[0071] An insulating material (103) for insulating the heater (110) may be installed inside the case (101), i.e., on the outside of the heater (110).

[0072] The insulation material (103) may be made of a material such as carbon black that can sufficiently withstand the high temperature of the heater (110).

[0073] The heater (110) may be installed in a vertical direction (Y direction in FIG. 1) on the ground or an installation surface, and may be formed in the shape of a rectangular tube or a circular tube to heat and graphitize the graphitizing raw material contained in a crucible (10) that is supplied and loaded vertically therein by radiant heat.

[0074] In addition, since the heater (110) generates heat through electrical resistance, it must be isolated from the surroundings or protected with a material having very high resistance. If the heater (110) is isolated from the surroundings, the surrounding area, i.e., the outside, of the heater (110) may be filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon gas.

[0075] An upper electrode connection part (120) and a lower electrode connection part (130) for electrical conduction of the heater (110) may be installed at the upper and lower portions of the heater (110).

[0076] The heating zone (100) is a high-temperature heating zone (HA2) that is positioned in the center of the heater (110) and heated to a first heating temperature (e.g., 2800°C to 3100°C) which is an artificial graphite production temperature by the heater (110).

[0077] An upper heating zone (HA1) positioned above the heater (110) and heated to a second heating temperature (e.g., 1500°C to 2800°C) that is lower than the high temperature heating zone (HA2),

[0078] It may include a lower heating zone (HA3) disposed below the heater (110) and heated to a third heating temperature (e.g., 1500°C to 2800°C) that is lower than the high-temperature heating zone (HA2).

[0079] Additionally, a first crucible supply chamber (20) may be installed at the bottom of the lower heating area (HA3) of the heating zone (100) and is arranged vertically with respect to the heater (110) to sequentially supply crucibles (10) to the lower heating area (HA3).

[0080] A first vertical transport device (21) may be installed at one end of the first crucible supply chamber (20) to push up the crucible (10) supplied to one end of the first crucible supply chamber (20) to the lower heating area (HA3).

[0081] A first crucible discharge chamber (30) may be installed in a vertical direction with respect to a heater (110) on the upper portion of the upper heating area (HA1) of the heating area section (100) and for discharging a crucible (11) in which artificial graphite is produced by the heating area section (100) to the outside of the upper heating area (HA1).

[0082] In addition, a first horizontal transfer device (31) may be installed in the first crucible discharge chamber (30) to horizontally transfer the crucible (11) discharged to the upper portion of the upper heating zone (HA1) toward the other end of the first crucible discharge chamber (30) (X direction in FIG. 1).

[0083] The crucible supply chamber (20) and the first crucible discharge chamber (30) are arranged in a vertical direction (X direction in FIG. 1) with respect to the heater (110), and can be arranged horizontally with a set distance apart from each other with respect to the ground or installation surface.

[0084] Additionally, a second crucible discharge chamber (40) may be installed at one end of the first crucible discharge chamber (30) and is arranged parallel to the heater (110) and is connected to the first crucible discharge chamber (30).

[0085] A second vertical transport device (41) may be installed at the lower end of the second crucible discharge chamber (40) to transport the crucible (11) transported from the first crucible discharge chamber (30) in a vertical direction (Y direction in FIG. 1).

[0086] A third crucible discharge chamber (50) may be installed at the lower end of the second crucible discharge chamber (40), which is arranged vertically with the second crucible discharge chamber (40) and is connected to the second crucible discharge chamber (40).

[0087] In addition, a second horizontal transfer device (43) may be installed on the lower side of the second crucible discharge chamber (40) to transfer the crucible (11) transferred to the second crucible discharge chamber (40) horizontally (in the X direction of FIG. 1) to the third crucible discharge chamber (50).

[0088] And, the preheating zone (200) may include a first preheating chamber (210) which is connected to the crucible supply chamber (20) and the third crucible discharge chamber (50), respectively, and is used to preheat the crucible (10) introduced to be supplied to the first crucible supply chamber (20) to a first preheating temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible (11) discharged from the third crucible discharge chamber (50).

[0089] The first preheating chamber (210) can be arranged vertically (Y direction in FIG. 1) with respect to the crucible supply chamber (20) and the third crucible discharge chamber (50).

[0090] A third vertical transport device (211) may be installed in the first preheating chamber (210) to push up the crucible (11) discharged from the third crucible discharge chamber (50) in the vertical direction (Y direction in FIG. 1).

[0091] Additionally, a fourth vertical transport device (213) may be installed in the first preheating chamber (210) to transport the crucible (10) introduced into the first preheating chamber (210) in a vertical direction (Y direction in FIG. 1).

[0092] A third horizontal transport device (215) may be installed in the first preheating chamber (210) to transport the crucible (10) introduced into the first preheating chamber (210) horizontally (in the X direction of FIG. 1) to the first crucible supply chamber (20).

[0093] In addition, the preheating zone (200) may include a second preheating chamber (220) arranged at the discharge end of the crucible (11) and the introduction end of the crucible (10) at room temperature, and for preheating the crucible (10) at room temperature introduced from the outside to a second preheating temperature using radiant heat emitted from the crucible (11) before being discharged to the outside.

[0094] The second preheating chamber (220) can be placed at the upper end, i.e., the end, of the preheating zone (200) for easy discharge of the crucible (11) and easy introduction of the crucible (10) at room temperature.

[0095] The preheating zone (200) may include at least one third preheating chamber (230) disposed between the first preheating chamber (210) and the second preheating chamber (220), and for preheating the crucible (10) preheated in the second preheating chamber (220) to a third set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible (11) discharged from the first preheating chamber (210).

[0096] In addition, a first partition wall (250) may be installed between the second preheating chamber (220) and the third preheating chamber (230) to isolate the second preheating chamber (220) and the third preheating chamber (230) so that the insides of the second preheating chamber (220) and the third preheating chamber (230) can be maintained at a set temperature, respectively.

[0097] The first bulkhead (250) may be provided with a first inlet (251) for introducing a crucible (10) from the second preheating chamber (220) to the third preheating chamber (230), and a first discharge port (253) for discharging a crucible (11) from the third preheating chamber (230) to the second preheating chamber (220).

[0098] In addition, the preheating zone (200) may include at least one fourth preheating chamber arranged between the first preheating chamber (210) and the third preheating chamber (230), and for preheating the crucible (10) preheated in the third preheating chamber (230) to a fourth set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible (11) discharged from the first preheating chamber (210).

[0099] A second partition wall (260) may be installed between the third preheating chamber (230) and the fourth preheating chamber (240) to isolate the third preheating chamber (230) and the fourth preheating chamber (240) so that the insides of the third preheating chamber (230) and the fourth preheating chamber (240) can be maintained at a set temperature, respectively.

[0100] The second bulkhead (260) may be provided with a second inlet (261) for introducing the crucible (10) from the third preheating chamber (230) to the fourth preheating chamber (240), and a second discharge port (263) for discharging the crucible (11) from the fourth preheating chamber (240) to the third preheating chamber (230).

[0101] In addition, a third partition wall (270) may be installed between the fourth preheating chamber (240) and the first preheating chamber (210) to isolate the fourth preheating chamber (240) and the first preheating chamber (210) so that the insides of the fourth preheating chamber (240) and the first preheating chamber (210) can be maintained at a set temperature, respectively.

[0102] The third bulkhead (270) may be provided with a third inlet (271) for introducing a crucible (10) from the fourth preheating chamber (240) to the first preheating chamber (210), and a third discharge port (273) for discharging a crucible (11) from the first preheating chamber (210) to the fourth preheating chamber (240).

[0103] The third preheating temperature of the third preheating chamber (230) may be higher than the second preheating temperature of the second preheating chamber (220).

[0104] Additionally, the fourth preheating temperature of the fourth preheating chamber (240) may be higher than the third preheating temperature of the third preheating chamber (230).

[0105] The first preheating temperature of the first preheating chamber (210) may be a highest preheating temperature (e.g., 1000°C to 1200°C or higher) higher than the fourth preheating temperature of the fourth preheating chamber (240).

[0106] In this way, the crucible (10) introduced from the outside can be gradually heated while sequentially passing through the second preheating chamber (220), the third preheating chamber (230), the fourth preheating chamber (240), and the first preheating chamber (210).

[0107] Conversely, the crucible (11) discharged to the outside can be cooled gradually while sequentially passing through the first preheating chamber (210), the fourth preheating chamber (240), the third preheating chamber (230), and the second preheating chamber (220).

[0108] In addition, the gap between the discharged crucible (11) and the introduced crucible (10) can be appropriately set so that the discharged crucible (11) and the introduced crucible (10) pass as closely as possible within the second preheating chamber (220), the third preheating chamber (230), the fourth preheating chamber (240), and the first preheating chamber (210) to enable efficient heat transfer.

[0109] The second preheating chamber (220), the third preheating chamber (230), the fourth preheating chamber (240), and the first preheating chamber (210) can each be sealed from the outside for effective sequential heating of the crucible (10) introduced from the outside.

[0110] Additionally, the first preheating chamber (210), the fourth preheating chamber (240), the third preheating chamber (230), and the second preheating chamber (220) can each be sealed from the outside for effective sequential cooling of the crucible (11) discharged to the outside.

[0111] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1, the operation of an artificial graphite according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0112] First, a crucible (10) at room temperature introduced from the outside is preheated to a set temperature in a preheating zone (200) and then supplied to a heating zone (100), and a crucible (11) in which artificial graphite is produced by the heating zone (100) is discharged from the heating zone (100) while passing through the preheating zone (200).

[0113] At this time, the room temperature crucible (10) introduced into the preheating zone (200) can be slowly preheated by the radiant heat emitted from the crucible (11) discharged from the heating zone (100).

[0114] That is, the crucible (10) introduced from the outside into the second preheating chamber (220) is preheated to the second set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible (11) discharged from the second preheating chamber (220) to the second preheating chamber (220) through the first discharge port (253) and then introduced into the third preheating chamber (230).

[0115] At this time, the crucible (10) contains graphitizing raw materials for artificial graphitization before being introduced from the outside into the second preheating chamber (220).

[0116] And, the crucible (10) introduced into the third preheating chamber (230) through the first inlet (251) is preheated to the third set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible (11) discharged from the third preheating chamber (230) to the third preheating chamber (230) through the second discharge port (263) and then introduced into the fourth preheating chamber (240).

[0117] In addition, the crucible (10) introduced into the fourth preheating chamber (240) through the second inlet (261) is preheated to the fourth set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible (11) discharged from the fourth preheating chamber (240) to the fourth preheating chamber (240) through the third discharge port (273) and then introduced into the first preheating chamber (210).

[0118] Next, the crucible (10) introduced into the first preheating chamber (210) through the third inlet (271) is preheated to the first set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible (11) discharged from the third crucible discharge chamber (50) in the first preheating chamber (210) and then supplied to the first crucible supply chamber (20).

[0119] In this way, the crucible (10) introduced into the preheating zone (200) can be gradually heated by the heat released from the crucible (11) within the second preheating chamber (220), the third preheating chamber (230), the fourth preheating chamber (240), and the first preheating chamber (210) while sequentially passing through the second preheating chamber (220), the third preheating chamber (230), the fourth preheating chamber (240), and the first preheating chamber (210).

[0120] Therefore, the crucible (10) preheated to the highest temperature in the first preheating chamber (210) can be supplied to the heater (110) of the heating zone (100) through the first crucible supply chamber (20).

[0121] And, the crucible (10) introduced from the outside and the crucible (11) discharged to the outside can be transported along the following path.

[0122] That is, the crucible (10) introduced from the outside first passes sequentially through the second preheating chamber (220), the third preheating chamber (230), and the fourth preheating chamber (240) and then is introduced into the first preheating chamber (210).

[0123] At this time, in the first preheating chamber (210), the crucible (10) is horizontally transferred to the first crucible supply chamber (20) by the third horizontal transfer device, and the crucible (10) is introduced to the first preheating chamber (210) by using the fourth vertical transfer device (213).

[0124] And, in the first crucible supply chamber (20), the crucible (10) located at the lower end of the heater (110) among the crucibles (10) transferred to the first crucible supply chamber (20) is supplied to the inside of the heater (110), i.e., the lower heating area (HA3), using the first vertical transfer device (21).

[0125] And, the crucible (10) supplied into the interior of the heater (110) is heated to a temperature higher than the set temperature by the heater (110) while sequentially passing through the lower heating zone (HA3), the high-temperature heating zone (HA2), and the upper heating zone (HA1), and the graphitized material contained in the crucible (10) is generated as artificial graphite.

[0126] In this way, the crucible (11) in which artificial graphite is produced is discharged from the upper part of the upper heating zone (HA1) to the first crucible discharge chamber (30).

[0127] In the first crucible discharge chamber (30), the crucible (11) discharged to the upper part of the upper heating area (HA1) by the first horizontal transfer device (31) is transferred horizontally (X direction in Fig. 1) toward the other end of the first crucible discharge chamber (30).

[0128] And, the crucible (11) is transferred into the fourth crucible discharge chamber (40) by the second vertical transfer device (41), and the crucible (11) transferred into the second crucible discharge chamber (40) is transferred into the first preheating chamber (210) through the third crucible discharge chamber (50) by the second horizontal transfer device (43).

[0129] The crucible (11) transferred to the first preheating chamber (210) can be sequentially transferred to the fourth preheating chamber (240), the third preheating chamber (230), and the second preheating chamber (220) by the third vertical transfer device (211) and discharged to the outside.

[0130] Accordingly, the crucible containing the artificial graphite above the set temperature that has been heated by the heater is not forcibly cooled as it is, but rather the heat is transferred to the crucible at room temperature to be heated, thereby allowing it to cool naturally, and the introduced crucible is preheated to the highest preheating temperature before entering the heating zone, thereby maximizing the energy required for graphitization.

[0131] Therefore, by creating a self-preheating structure in a vertical artificial graphite furnace, energy efficiency and the lifespan of the crucible and furnace can be greatly improved, thereby greatly improving economic feasibility.

[0132] Although the present disclosure has been described through preferred embodiments as described above, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited thereto and that various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims set forth below.

[0133] (Explanation of symbols)

[0134] 10: The Crucible

[0135] 100: Heating zone

[0136] 200: Preheating zone

Claims

1. In a vertical artificial graphite furnace for manufacturing artificial graphite, A plurality of crucibles containing graphitizing raw materials for the production of artificial graphite inside; A heating zone in which the crucibles are vertically stacked inside and the graphitizing raw material contained in the crucible is heated to produce artificial graphite, and A preheating zone for preheating a room temperature crucible introduced into the heating zone from the outside using the heat emitted from a crucible in which artificial graphite is generated and discharged by being heated in the heating zone, and which is arranged on at least one side of the heating zone. With artificial graphite containing .

2. In paragraph 1, The above crucible is an artificial graphite furnace having a square or cylindrical shape.

3. In paragraph 2, The above crucible is an artificial graphite crucible made of graphite material.

4. In paragraph 3, An artificial graphite furnace, the outside of which is filled with an inert gas.

5. In paragraph 1, An artificial graphite furnace, wherein the heating zone has a laminated passage for passing a plurality of the crucibles through the laminated passage and includes a heater for generating heat at a set temperature.

6. In paragraph 5, An artificial graphite furnace in which insulation is installed on the outside of the above heater.

7. In paragraph 6, The above insulation material is made of carbon black, an artificial graphite.

8. In paragraph 5, The above heater is an artificial graphite heater having a rectangular or circular tube shape.

9. In paragraph 8, The outside of the above heater is filled with an inert gas, which is an artificial graphite.

10. In paragraph 5, The above heating zone is, A high temperature heating area positioned in the center of the above heater and heated to a first heating temperature, An upper heating zone positioned above the heater and heated to a second heating temperature that is lower than the high temperature heating zone, and An artificial graphite furnace comprising a lower heating zone disposed below the heater and heated to a third heating temperature that is lower than the high-temperature heating zone.

11. In paragraph 10, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a first crucible supply chamber is installed at a lower portion of the lower heating zone and is arranged vertically with respect to the heater and for supplying the crucible to the lower heating zone.

12. In paragraph 11, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a first vertical transport device is installed in the first crucible supply chamber to push the crucible supplied to one end of the first crucible supply chamber up to the lower heating zone.

13. In paragraph 12, An artificial graphite induction furnace, wherein a first crucible discharge chamber is installed in the upper part of the upper heating zone and is vertically arranged with respect to the heater, and for discharging the crucible in which the artificial graphite is produced to the outside of the upper heating zone.

14. In paragraph 13, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a first horizontal transfer device is installed in the first crucible discharge chamber for transferring the crucible toward the other end of the first crucible discharge chamber.

15. In paragraph 14, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a second crucible discharge chamber is installed at one end of the first crucible discharge chamber and is arranged parallel to the heater and is communicated with the first crucible discharge chamber.

16. In paragraph 15, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a second vertical transport device is installed at the lower end of the second crucible discharge chamber for vertically transporting the crucible transported from the first crucible discharge chamber.

17. In paragraph 16, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a third crucible discharge chamber is installed at the lower end of the second crucible discharge chamber, and is arranged vertically with the second crucible discharge chamber and is communicated with the second crucible discharge chamber.

18. In paragraph 17, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a second horizontal transfer device is installed on one side of the second crucible discharge chamber for transferring the crucible transferred to the second crucible discharge chamber to the third crucible discharge chamber.

19. In Article 17, The above preheating zone is, An artificial graphitization furnace, comprising a first preheating chamber, each of which is connected to the first crucible supply chamber and the third crucible discharge chamber, and for preheating the crucible introduced for supplying to the first crucible supply chamber to a first preheating temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible discharged from the third crucible discharge chamber.

20. In paragraph 19, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a third vertical transport device is installed in the first preheating chamber to vertically transport a crucible discharged from the third crucible discharge chamber.

21. In paragraph 20, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a fourth vertical transport device is installed in the first preheating chamber to vertically transport the crucible introduced into the first preheating chamber.

22. In paragraph 19, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein a third horizontal transfer device is installed in the first preheating chamber to transfer the crucible introduced into the first preheating chamber to the first crucible supply chamber.

23. In any one of paragraphs 19 to 22, The above preheating zone is, An artificial graphitization furnace, comprising a second preheating chamber arranged at the discharge end of the crucible and the introduction end of the crucible at room temperature, for preheating the crucible at room temperature introduced from the outside to a second preheating temperature using radiant heat emitted from the crucible before being discharged to the outside.

24. In paragraph 23, The above preheating zone is, An artificial graphitization furnace, comprising at least one third preheating chamber disposed between the first preheating chamber and the second preheating chamber, for preheating the crucible preheated in the second preheating chamber to a third set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible discharged from the first preheating chamber.

25. In paragraph 24, An artificial graphite furnace, wherein a first partition wall is installed between the second preheating chamber and the third preheating chamber to isolate the second preheating chamber and the third preheating chamber.

26. In paragraph 25, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein the first bulkhead is provided with a first inlet for introducing the crucible from the second preheating chamber to the third preheating chamber, and a first discharge port for discharging the crucible from the third preheating chamber to the second preheating chamber.

27. In paragraph 24, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein the preheating zone comprises at least one fourth preheating chamber disposed between the first preheating chamber and the third preheating chamber, and for preheating the crucible preheated in the third preheating chamber to a fourth set temperature by radiant heat emitted from the crucible discharged from the first preheating chamber.

28. In paragraph 27, An artificial graphite furnace, wherein a second partition is installed between the third preheating chamber and the fourth preheating chamber to isolate the third preheating chamber and the fourth preheating chamber.

29. In paragraph 28, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein the second bulkhead is provided with a second inlet for introducing the crucible from the third preheating chamber to the fourth preheating chamber, and a second discharge port for discharging the crucible from the fourth preheating chamber to the third preheating chamber.

30. In paragraph 27, An artificial graphite furnace, wherein a third partition is installed between the fourth preheating chamber and the first preheating chamber to isolate the fourth preheating chamber and the first preheating chamber.

31. In paragraph 30, An artificial graphitization furnace, wherein the third bulkhead is provided with a third inlet for introducing the crucible from the fourth preheating chamber to the first preheating chamber, and a third discharge port for discharging the crucible from the first preheating chamber to the fourth preheating chamber.

32. In paragraph 27, The crucible introduced from the outside is gradually heated while passing through the second preheating chamber, the third preheating chamber, the fourth preheating chamber, and the first preheating chamber in sequence, in an artificial graphitization furnace.

33. In paragraph 32, The crucible discharged to the outside is gradually cooled while sequentially passing through the first preheating chamber, the fourth preheating chamber, the third preheating chamber, and the second preheating chamber.

34. In paragraph 32, The second preheating chamber, the third preheating chamber, the fourth preheating chamber, and the first preheating chamber are each sealed from the outside for sequential heating of the crucible introduced from the outside, in an artificial graphitization furnace.

35. In paragraph 33, The first preheating chamber, the fourth preheating chamber, the third preheating chamber, and the second preheating chamber are each sealed from the outside for sequential cooling of the crucible discharged to the outside, in an artificial graphitization furnace.

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